Assassination of Cuernavaca councilman Gabriel Rivas Ríos

On November 4, 2026, Gabriel Rivas Ríos, a Morena councilman and social activist in Cuernavaca, Morelos, was assassinated. Armed individuals on a motorcycle intercepted his vehicle in the Ejidos de Acapantzingo neighborhood and opened fire, striking him in the head. Rivas Ríos, a former local deputy known for his advocacy for vulnerable sectors and environmental protection, had recently been vocal in his opposition to the “Alto Verde” luxury real estate project by Portenta Hábitat, which targets the La Cazahuatera ecological reserve. He had reportedly received death threats prior to the attack and had recently visited the Administrative Justice Tribunal to contest a ruling favorable to the developer.

Following the incident, Morelos Governor Margarita González Saravia condemned the killing and promised there would be no impunity. By November 6, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered a federal security cabinet investigation into the homicide. Sheinbaum characterized the killing as a “directed and ordered homicide” potentially linked to the victim’s environmental advocacy, stating, “No hay lugar a dudas de que era un homicidio ordenado y dirigido contra él.” The federal government is coordinating with state authorities to investigate the perpetrators and review the legal status of the contested real estate project. Local authorities and social organizations continue to demand the identification of both the material perpetrators and the intellectual authors of the crime.